Disposable diapers are well known articles of manufacture that are worn by infants and incontinent persons. Disposable diapers are worn about the lower torso and are intended to absorb and contain urine and feces, thereby preventing the urine and feces from soiling, wetting, or otherwise contaminating articles (e.g., clothing, bedding, etc.) that come into contact with the diaper wearer.
In general, disposable diapers all have the same basic structure comprising an absorbent core encased between a liquid permeable, user-contacting topsheet and a liquid impermeable backsheet. The prior art, of course, teaches numerous variations of and elements in addition to the basic topsheet, backsheet, and absorbent core arrangement. For example, an improvement in the performance of disposable diapers has been achieved by the addition of elastic means along portions of the diaper contacting the wearer's thigh, thereby providing elasticized leg openings when the diaper is worn.
When using a disposable diaper having elasticized leg openings, the diaper user fits the diaper on the wearer and fastens it about the wearer's waist thereby effecting a side closure. The elasticized leg openings thereby form gasketing cuffs around the legs of the wearer.
While such diapers are effective in reducing leakage from around the leg opening, a diaper having acceptable containment characteristics may be provided by having a barrier leg cuff instead of, or preferably in addition to, the gasketing cuff. A barrier leg cuff, unlike the aforementioned gasketing cuff, does not form a seal about the wearer's body. Rather, the barrier leg cuff is intended to act as a dam or barrier to the flow of body exudates toward the sides of the diaper. Of course, both concepts may be incorporated into a single diaper having both gasketing cuffs and barrier leg cuffs.
A number of patents have been issued directed to the use of barrier leg cuffs. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,704,116 issued to Enloe on Nov. 3, 1987, teaches a diaper having two elasticized portions along each longitudinal portion of the diaper. While it is not clear if the inboard elasticized portion of the aforementioned U.S. Pat. No. 4,704,116 acts as a barrier cuff, it is clear that U.S. Pat. No. 4,695,278 issued to Lawson on Sept. 23, 1987, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,795,454 issued to Dragoo on Jan. 3, 1989, both teach the use of a gasketing cuff and a barrier leg cuff.
The disposable diapers of the prior art, however, lack the aspects of the present invention wherein a portion of the barrier leg cuff is affixed to a portion of the diaper.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a disposable diaper having improved waste containment characteristics.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a disposable diaper having an improved barrier leg cuff.
An additional object of the invention is to provide a disposable diaper in which a portion of the barrier leg cuff is affixed to a portion of the diaper.
These and other objects of the invention will be more readily apparent when considered in connection with the following description and the accompanying drawings.